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Stallions Open TL Campaign Anew

The Xavier Basketball Team. Taken from the Xavier juniors team’s Facebook page.

By Gian Go, 4F

Stallion Sports Editor

The 43rd annual Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball tournament, which features players from its seven member schools, opened last Saturday, January 12, over at Chang Kai Shek College. Defending champions Chang Kai Shiek look to defend its title in a virtual three-team race with PSSBL Champions Hope Christian High School and Xavier School.

Going into the season, there were many heated arguments and discussions over a wide range of topics ranging from recruitment to player eligibility. The tournament will push through but only after several casualties. UNO High School, a perennial competitor in the cheerleading competitions, has withdrawn its membership from the MMTLBA. Key players from both Hope and Chang Kai Shek also have been deemed ineligible by the league because of different violations.

The Golden Stallions are determined to bounce back from a disappointing third-place campaign last season. The team is to be led by RP Youth mainstays Kyles Lao, Isaac Go, and Jr. NBA Ambassador Jarrell Lim as the team also tries to find a new image after ‘Jeron Teng era’.

The Juniors team has gone through a total makeover from appointing a new head coach in Owen Oliva to participating in different new and competitive tournaments. The Stallions placed 4th in the FilOil summer tourney which featured the top high school teams from both the UAAP and NCAA. They also had a good showing in the recently concluded Private Secondary School Basketball Championships (PSSBC). The team also has been working with different skills coaches to further enhance their basketball skills.

The tournament will also feature a new tournament format as teams will face each other twice in a double round robin elimination with the top two teams going straight to the Finals in a best-of-three encounter.